12th and 13th October
Strong winds again but dry on the 12th and a
few birds in sheltered spots on the east coast of the island, a Bluethroat was found at Sandback (possibly the same bird
from Senness on the 9th), a new, better looking Arctic Peregrine type was at the north end,
the Short-toed Lark and Red-breasted Flycatcher were
still present and an unstreaked Acrocephalus
Warbler seen briefly on the beach near Hooking potentially was the Blyth’s Reed
Warbler from the 7th (or a new one!).
Other
landbird migrants have begun to decrease but did include a Merlin, 6 Swallows,
a Dunnock, 2 Robins, a Whinchat still, 16 Wheatears, 54 Redwings and single
Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap and Goldcrest.
Also of note were 6 new Whooper Swans joining the family party of 5, a
flock of 24 Barnacle Geese south, the Scaup still, 15 Ruff, 3 Jack Snipe and 19
Bar-tailed Godwits.
Strong
SSW winds continued to blast across the island on the 13th but there
were long spells of sunshine and most of the day’s highlights came from a short
seawatch in the afternoon with one definite adult Pomarine Skua past along with 3 other
Skua sp. (which probably were also Pomarines), 2 Great Skuas, a late Manx
Shearwater and 70 Kittiwakes. Passerines were again thin on the ground with
the exception of an influx of 120 Redwings along with the Red-breasted
Flycatcher still, single Dunnock and Robin, 14 Wheatears, a
Blackcap, a Chaffinch and a Lapland Bunting.
Other
birds of note included 11 Whooper Swans again (with a darvic ringed bird
apparently ringed at Slimbridge), 35 Pink-footed Geese, 4 Long-tailed Ducks, 2
Merlins (fighting over a Meadow Pipit at the seawatch hide), a Peregrine and 3
Jack Snipe.
Rock Pipit, Simon Davies
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